Window screen clip



June 13, 1944. G. T. WILLIAMS ET AL WINDOW SCREEN CLIP Filed Jan. 26, 1944 Zlvwcmkm WI 5701?], Lb. 5'. T VVY/fiams arm/W 4 Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES iTENT OFFICE WINDOW SCREEN our Application January 26, 1944, Serial No. 519,824

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved slide clip for use in connection with two or more sliding parts of an extensible structure, such, for example, as ventilators or as herein illustrated telescopic screen frames, and more particularly to an improved and simplified guide clip struc ture including means for maintaining the s1iding frame structures in parallel alignment without chafing the groove structure and thus preventing binding of the frame members.

Clips of this general type have been heretofore proposed but such clips require an undue amount of metal and are expensive to manufacture, and depend for alignment merely on the dovetail button portion.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified guide clip adapted to be stamped as a unitary structure from flat, strip or strap metal and including an improved slide portion adapted to prevent chafing and binding of the parts.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telescopic screen structure embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a medial transverse cross-section through Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal crosssection taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the improved slide clip.

In telescopic screen frames and the like it is customary to associate longitudinal frame members I connected by end frame members 3 and fitted with screen s so that the effective length of the screen frames can be adjusted as desired by forcing the end frame members 33 either toward or away from each other.

For economy in manufacture, it is desirable that the longitudinal frame member i be made identical and interchangeable and to this end it is common practice to form such frame members l with longitudinally extending dovetail grooves 2 running lengthwise of the face, so that when the frame sections are assembled the grooved faces of the longitudinal frame members I will face each other as illustrated in Figure 2.

It has heretofore been proposed to slidingly associate such frame members by clips having dovetail projections adapted to slidingly seat in opposite dovetailed grooves and the present invention is directed to a simplified improved guide clip structure adapted to more emciently associate the longitudinal frame members in sliding relationship, so that these members will be maintained in parallel relationship at all times and so that there will be no chafing or undue wear between the sliding portion of the clip and the groove within which it is seated.

Accordingly, it is proposed to manufacture these clips from substantially rectangular metal strips bent upon themselves into U-shape as illustrated in Figure 4:, in which ll represents the entire guide clip having legs 4 and 9 and a connecting base portion 1.

One of the legs 3 is preferably made longer than the other leg 9 and is slotted adjacent its free end as at 5 to provide a prong 6 which is deflected laterally to prevent the withdrawal of the leg 4 when the same is inserted endwise into i one of the dovetail grooves 2 of a frame member l.

The thick base portion 1 is notched on each side as at 8 to provide a dovetail shape adapted to comate with the dovetail groove 2 in one of the longitudinal members I and the short leg member 9 extends perpendicularly to the base portion l to operate as a sliding guide contacting the base of the dovetail groove 2, as is well illustrated in Figure 3.

To provide additional rigidity to the clip structure, a longitudinal medial rib l2 may be stamped into the sheet metal strip prior to bending into U-shape, but this is optional and dependent upon the thickness or weight of the sheet metal used in constructing the device.

By reference to Figure 3, it will be apparent that the sliding guide legs 9 seating against the bottoms of the dovetail grooves 2 function to accurately align the frame members I in parallel relationship and provide fiat sliding surfaces, preventing chafing or binding of the clip within the dovetail groove.

Various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Slide device for window screen structure and the like, having grooved frame members, comprising a U-shaped clip having one leg provided with a laterally deflected prong, the base portion connecting the legs shaped to comate with the groove in the grooved frame members and the other leg formed as a slide runner.

2. Slide device for window screen structure and the like, including dovetail grooved opposed frame members comprising a strip of rigid sheet metal bent to U-shape, having one leg formed with a laterally deflected prong, the base portion having its sides notched to provide a comating dovetail for the dovetailed groove of one of the frame members and the other leg adapted to seat slidingly on the bottom of the dovetil groove of the opposing frame member.

GEORGE THURMAN WILLIAMS. WALTER FRANKLIN STORY, JR. 

